


Getting It Right

by thequidditchpitch_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Ficlet, Post-War, Romance, The Quidditch Pitch: Eternity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-11-10
Updated: 2007-11-10
Packaged: 2018-10-26 13:16:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10787451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thequidditchpitch_archivist/pseuds/thequidditchpitch_archivist
Summary: Dream as if you'll live forever, Severus, but live as if you'll die today.





	Getting It Right

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).

**Getting It Right**  
  
  
  
 _Dream as if you'll live forever, Severus, but live as if you'll die today._  
  
Albus Dumbledore's words rang softly in Severus' ears. "Unfortunately," he groaned as his blood pooled around him, staining every crevice of the Shrieking Shack's floor, "it is a bit late for the epiphany."  
  
"Is it really, Severus Snape?"  
  
Severus twisted over onto his back and squinted at the glowing, ethereal woman standing above him. "Lily?"  
  
"Hello, Severus. I had hoped it would be much longer before we met again." Severus' eyes grew suspiciously moist, a single tear escaping and trailing down to mix with the drying smear of blood. "You deserved a lifetime."  
  
Severus made a gurgling noise and choked as he tried to snort. "Not… not… like this," he finally rasped out.  
  
"No," Lily agreed with a soft smile, "definitely not like this. You were meant to fall in love, build a life, a family."  
  
"Did… she… you… didn't love me back."  
  
"Oh, Sev." Lily reached out a hand and ran a cold finger over Severus' cheek and down to the leaking punctures in his neck. "It wasn't meant to be, Severus. There is someone else who is perfect for you, someone who challenges you in ways that a lover should. You know that deep inside, don't you?"  
  
"No." Severus struggled with the word, his breath coming in haggard fits and spurts as his life force slipped further and further away.  
  
"Yes, you do, you stubborn man." Lily brushed a kiss across Severus' forehead. Closing her eyes, Lily chanted a string of Gaelic in hushed whispers. She watched, satisfied, as the neck wounds closed and Severus' labored breathing finally evened out into a natural sleep.  
  
"Get it right this time, my friend." She stepped back and started to fade away, using her last moments to plant the seed within Severus' mind. "Let him love you, Severus. Let Harry show you why it could never have been me."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Is he awake yet, Harry?"  
  
Harry stood and stretched, his back popping like bits of popcorn as he twisted right and then left. "No, Hermione, not yet. Madam Pomfrey says it should be any time now, though." Harry stepped back from the bed but kept his eyes glued to Severus' still form. "Something saved him, you know. He was completely healed when I got there; healed and sleeping peacefully."  
  
Neither noticed the slight change in Severus' breathing, the way his eyelids fluttered open and then shut just as quickly as he listened to the conversation that had drawn him out of the abyss.  
  
"He is a Potions master, Harry. I'm sure he had pockets full of phials in case something like this happened."  
  
He shook his head. "No, Hermione. It was something else. There were no empty phials or anything."  
  
Hermione looked Harry over with a careful eye. He'd changed and it wasn't just the maturity everyone expected the final battle to bring. "What happened, Harry? You've hated him for seven years and now you won't leave his side."  
  
Harry reached out and brushed a hand across Severus' arm. "You remember when you first heard about magic, Hermione? Not the stuff Muggle magicians do but _real_ , honest to goodness magic?"  
  
"Of course," she replied, determined to wait Harry out.  
  
"All of a sudden the world wasn't what you thought it was, right?"  
  
"True."  
  
Harry sighed and gave Hermione a small smile. "That's what his memories did. All of a sudden he wasn't the same Snape that I've dealt with. There was this whole new side to him and more than anything, I wanted him to stay alive so I could see more of it."  
  
"More than spending time with your friends and family? More than seeing to Ginny?"  
  
Harry dropped his eyes to the floor. "Would you hate me if I said yes?"  
  
"Oh, Harry," Hermione sighed. Stepping closer, she wrapped her arms tight around Harry. "Of course not. I might not understand it but I could never hate you for it."  
  
They stood in silence, only their breathing telling Severus that they were both still there.  
  
"You're not going to leave, are you?"  
  
"No… not yet. There's something, Hermione. I can't explain it."  
  
She waved her hand and cut off Harry's stammering. "You stay, Harry. You do what you feel you must. I'll try…"  
  
"It's alright, Hermione. I expect no matter what you say, Ron and Gin are going to be upset. Don't get them mad at you too, okay?" Walking with her to the door, he added, "I'll just give them some time to cool off, yeah? Maybe that'll work."  
  
Hermione doubted anything would work this time but she wasn't going to be the one to dash Harry's hopes. "You better get back in there, Harry. You've waited this long, it would be a shame if he wakes up now."  
  
"Would be my luck, wouldn't it?" He kissed her on the cheek and rushed back to Severus' bedside, settling into his chair before the infirmary door closed behind his best friend.  
  
Severus waited another ten minutes before ending the ruse, opening his eyes once he determined that there would be no more secret confessions.  
  
Harry was at his side in an instant. "Welcome back, Professor," he said quietly.  
  
"Pott…" A quiet voice tinged with friendship and pleading filtered through Severus' mind… _Let him love you, Severus. Let Harry show you why it could never have been me_ … and Severus quickly amended his words. "Perhaps it is time you called me Severus, Harry."  
  
  
 _fini_  
  
  
  
The quote, _Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today_ , rightfully belongs to James Dean.  



End file.
